From NAHU News Wire

The AP (4/14, Abrams) reports, "House Republicans continued their multipronged attack on the healthcare law enacted last year with a vote Wednesday to eliminate a section in the law providing $15 billion over the next decade on such preventive healthcare issues as fighting obesity, reducing smoking and promoting better nutrition." GOP lawmakers "described the Prevention and Public Health Fund as a ‘slush fund’ for the secretary of health and human services that is not subject to congressional approval or oversight." Notably, last year, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "made grants of $500 million to states and communities, and in February this year she announced another $750 million to coordinate efforts to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer, increase physical activity to prevent obesity and train public health workers in responding to infectious disease outbreaks."

The Washington Post (4/14, Sonmez) "2chambers" blog reports, "The measure, H.R. 1217, passed on a 236-to-183 vote, with four Democrats joining all Republicans present to vote in favor. The bill is not likely to progress much further, however," since "President Obama earlier Wednesday issued a threat to veto the measure."

The National Journal (4/14, Fox, McCarthy, Subscription Publication) also notes that the measure "is certain to die in the Senate, and the White House made sure to send the message that the bill would go nowhere." According to the Office of Management and Budget, "The administration will continue to work with the Congress to responsibly implement the Affordable Care Act," but it "will strongly oppose legislation that attempts to erode the important provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are making healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Americans."

Nevertheless, the Washington Times (4/14, Lengell) reports that GOP lawmakers "oppose the Prevention and Public Health Fund because they say it gives the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) unchecked authority to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on dubious public